


Promises Kept and Broken

by RainbowJeff



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Mainly Whiterose, like side bees, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24809131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowJeff/pseuds/RainbowJeff
Summary: This does not have a happy ending. What can I say, heroes don’t live forever.OrFive times Ruby kept her promise to Weiss, and the one time she didn’t.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 25
Kudos: 79





	1. Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> Please don’t read if you uncomfortable with major character death. My goal with this story is to do something different, to make you guys cry a little (sorry). There is happy whiterose, and also sad whiterose. You have been warned.

The First Time-

  
  


Weiss Schnee absolutely did not get along with Ruby Rose. Everything about the girl was an annoyance to Weiss, from her completely unorthodox fighting style, to her obsession with those sugar-loaded chocolate chip cookies that she insisted were “A necessity of survival, just as important as food, water, and shelter”. 

Weiss was also hugely unhappy with Ruby’s constant attempts to befriend her, and she wasn’t having it. Ruby’s latest plot to get Weiss to like her was the final straw that made her snap.

“For the last time, _Ruby Rose_ , I am _not_ going to turn the pool into ice just so you and Yang can _skate on it_ ! First off, that’s _destruction of property_ , and Goodwitch is already mad at you for the last stunt you pulled! Second off, that is an _incredibly stupid idea_.”

Ruby looked at Weiss with hurt eyes, a frown gracing her usually grinning face. 

“It’s not _that_ bad of an idea”, Ruby cast her eyes down as she muttered dejectedly. “I just wanted to have some fun.”

Weiss felt her blood boil. She turned to the younger girl with a scowl on her face, hands on her hips.

“Fun! _All you do is have fun_! Do you ever focus on anything besides yourself? Like bettering yourself in combat so you don’t hold your teammates back when they’re fighting.”

Ruby went from hurt to something else, something new Weiss had never seen on the girl’s features. Weiss watched, shocked and a little ashamed as Ruby drew herself up and mirrored Weiss’s own posture, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

“All you think I do is have _fun,_ huh? Really Weiss? How do you think I got into the same school as you, even though I’m two years younger than you, Yang, and Blake! Because I _worked_ for it. I was the best at Signal, and Professor Ozpin seems to agree with that, since he made me the leader of this team! At least I’m not here on _daddy’s money_.”

Weiss was shocked to her core. She’d never heard Ruby speak that way to her, or to anyone for that matter. Ruby was kind, to say the least, but the words that came out of her mouth were _not_ kind. Was that all she thought of Weiss? Skating by on her father’s money? Weiss found that she was bothered by this very much, despite never caring what other people thought of her, except her family. Weiss found that she hated to hear these kinds of words from Ruby, because it was just _wrong_. The younger girl was naive and fun-loving, not cruel. 

She looked up, not realizing that she had been staring at the ground, and found Ruby with her hands clasped over her mouth, apparently just as shocked as Weiss that those words had come out. 

“Well, if that’s what you think.”

Weiss turned to leave.

“Weiss— wait! Please, I didn’t mean that! Come back.”

Weiss paid her little attention and walked toward the library, strangely forlorn.

~~~

  
  


Weiss was writing Ooblecks _nonsense_ essay, frustrated that the words weren’t coming to her as easily as they should have. Weiss shut her text book with a bang, earning her a couple glances from other studying students, and a _shush_ from the librarian. Weiss set her head down on the table and sighed.

“ _At least I’m not here on_ daddy’s money.”

Those words from the fight earlier echoed around her head, taking up valuable room that she could have used to write this _damn essay._

Frustrated, Weiss picked up her things and made her way back to the dorm. As she walked down the hallways, she caught a glimpse of Blake and Yang, chatting, and they largely ignored her as she made her way past them. This wasn’t a surprise to Weiss, she’d been just as friendly with them as she’d been with Ruby, which was a nicer way to say cold and indifferent. Sighing, she stepped into the dorm.

“ _Oh_! Weiss! I’m really really sorry about what happened earlier I just lost my temper, _oh I’m so sorry it won’t happen again_!”

Weiss was met with a frazzled, babbling Ruby, who was sitting on her bed surrounded by textbooks, evidently working on the same paper she’d been writing earlier. Ruby looked sincerely upset and apologetic, if not a little scared of how Weiss might react.

Weiss was nothing if not shocked, and when she’s shocked, she tends to make bad decisions. Instead of apologizing like she had planned to do, like a _good_ teammate would do, she went and sat on her bed and ignored Ruby, like an _awful_ teammate. Weiss wasn’t dumb, she knew this would only make it worse, but she didn’t know what else to do. 

Ruby studied her apprehensively, and once she made the deduction that Weiss wasn’t going to say anything, she sighed and went to her own bed. After a few minutes of tentative silence, Ruby spoke again.

“Listen, Weiss. If you’re not going to accept my apology, that’s fine, because I know what I said was uncalled for, and I am really sorry that I said what I said. I don’t really believe all those things, but you’ve been just so _mean_ to me ever since we arrived here, and everything I try to make you like me ends up backfiring. So, I’m done apologizing to you. I’m not going to stop trying to be your friend, to be a good teammate and a good leader, because I want to get along with you. I _promise_ that I’ll always come back, even if you don’t want me here, because that’s what a good person would do. And when you decide to forgive me, I’ll be there for you.”

Weiss was _shocked_ , again, a recurring theme of the day, and she sat on her bed, frozen, as she processed Ruby’s words. As Ruby slid off her bed to make her way out the door, Weiss spoke.

“ _Ruby_. I’m sorry.”

Ruby looked back at Weiss with a little smile on her face. 

“See, I _knew_ you’d come around!”


	2. The Fall of Beacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death, destruction, and Jacques Schnee is an asshole as always!

The Second Time-

The screams around Weiss were terrifying, full of pain and misery, of lost loved ones and fear that they would be the next ones to die. Weiss lay on the pavement next to her team, her friends, listening to people die around her. Yang lay on the ground next to Blake semi-conscious, listlessly reaching out to her as Blake whispered comforts that Weiss couldn’t hear. As Yang drifted off into unconsciousness, Weiss heard Blake let out a small choked sob and grasped Yang’s remaining hand, holding it as if it were a lifeline. 

Weiss herself felt like passing out herself, but she steeled herself, waiting for Ruby to return. She watched her surroundings helplessly, seeing bodies that littered the ground, watching as Grimm and White Fang alike ran rampant in the streets.

_Murderers_.

She remembered watching Pyrrha rip Penny apart by the torso, revealing the wires that she was really made of. She remembered how Ruby sunk to her knees, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrific sight. 

She remembered how Ruby, with steel in her eyes, went to chase after Pyrrha and Cinder, but not before promising Weiss that she’d be back. 

She remembered the pain that she felt as she watched her partner chase after that _witch_ , the one who’d really killed Penny, the one who’d caused so much pain and destruction.

_Murderer_.

Weiss watched helplessly from the ground as sounds of the battle washed over her, making her feel sick. She listened to Blake’s quiet sobs as she held Yang’s hand, and she desperately wished Ruby was here to hold hers, to be there for her, like she promised to be. 

“ _Promises mean nothing. The only one you can count on is yourself_.”

Weiss heard her father’s voice in her head, but she refused to listen to it. Despite what he said, Ruby had been there for her. She’d been there for all of them. Weiss just had to wait helplessly, watch helplessly as her partner battled a murderer.

Weiss saw it before she heard it.

The Wyvern broke free from the mountain, in all of its horrific glory, before letting out a deafening roar that seemed to shake every bone in Weiss’s body. She watched in terror as it made its way towards Beacon Tower, where she knew Ruby was, where she knew Cinder was. 

A tear escaped from Weiss’s eye as she watched the Wyvern land on the tower, as she heard a bloodcurdling scream from the top, a scream unfamiliar yet so familiar, one of fear and pain and death. After all, she’d been listening to them all night. 

She watched, helplessly, as a blinding silver light shone from the tower, a light that seemed to turn the giant Wyvern to stone, but Weiss’s eyes must have been playing tricks on her. Surely the beast must have killed them by now, killed them all, killed Cinder, Pyrrha, and her brave, stubborn partner, who Weiss wished was next to her more than anything.

_Some “greatest partner ever” I am right now._

The last thing Weiss felt was regret before she slipped into unconsciousness.

~~~

Weiss woke, feeling nothing yet feeling everything. She turned her head to see Yang and Blake, but found only medics tending to Yang's arm, _and oh god_ , Yang’s arm really was gone. Blake was nowhere to be found. 

Weiss turned her attention skyward, watching dawn break through the smoke and ashes. 

Someone let a sob next to her.

Weiss shifted her attention to her right, and gazed upon a small red bundle, wrapped around itself tightly. Weiss blinked, and more came into focus, revealing dark hair with red tips, and a scythe at its side. 

“Ruby….”

Ruby turned to the sound of Weiss’s hoarse voice.

“Weiss! You’re ok! I was so worried….. I saw Yang and I saw you, oh I thought you were _dead_. I’ve seen so many people die today Weiss…”

Weiss saw an unrecognizable expression in Ruby’s eyes, so different from the joy that usually filled those deep silver pools. She saw death.

“Pyrrha……. oh _Pyrrha_.”

Ruby let out another small sob. She moved to sit closer to Weiss, and gripped her hand, just as Blake had been with Yang earlier.

“Weiss, I watched Pyrrha die today. I watched Penny die today. How many more people are we going to lose before this is over?”

Weiss gripped Ruby’s hand tighter, hoping to offer some small amount of comfort to the younger girl, and watched as another tear slid down her face. Weiss hated seeing Ruby like this, hated seeing her upset. It wasn’t _right_.

“I don’t know Ruby.”

Ruby laid next to Weiss, and set her head on her stomach. Weiss moved her arm and weakly brushed strands of Ruby’s dark hair away from her face, and then wrapped an arm around the younger girl. 

~~~

Some time passed, Weiss didn’t know how much, she didn’t really care, but morning fully came, and with it brought families. Taiyang came for his girls, but most of his attention was fixed upon Yang as she slept in a makeshift stretcher. Blake still hadn’t returned. Ruby and her had been separated at some point, with Ruby sitting next to Yang and her father, and Weiss sitting next to Winter and her own father.

“Weiss, I’m taking you back to Atlas.”

Her father looked at her coldly, not caring what her opinion on the matter was. 

“I don’t want to go back to Atlas. I have my training here, my friends here. I’m not leaving.”

“What training? Beacon is gone, Weiss, look around you. I’m taking you back to Atlas, where you will attend Atlas Academy, where you should’ve been in the first place. We’re leaving now. Come.”

Weiss stood helplessly as her father dragged towards his ship. She caught a glimpse of Ruby, who had stood and looked at Jacques with indignation as she made her way over to the Schnee family.

“Excuse me, _sir_ , but I’d like to talk to Weiss before you take her away.”

Her father looked disgusted, but released Weiss, who gladly went with Ruby.

“Weiss, I have a plan. Well…. more like an idea, but it’ll be a real plan soon. Just, make it to Haven for me, please try to. If you can make it there, we have a real chance at winning this thing. Please, I _promise_ I’ll find you, I _promise_ I’ll get to you. Just, make it to Haven, Weiss.”

Ruby had a steely look of determination in her eyes. 

“Of course, I trust you Ruby.”

Ruby gave a small smile, and turned back towards her family, but not before giving Weiss one last hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that got dark fast.


	3. Argus Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slightly happier, slightly fluffier whiterose :)

The Third Time-

Weiss felt it coming, and it was _strong_ this time, she felt the train of emotions barreling towards her heart as she watched Ruby jump into the cannon of the giant mech. Weiss watched with horror as Ruby flew back towards the cliff where she was standing, and with relief as Qrow caught her and set her gently on the cliff. Weiss ran towards her side, wrapping Ruby in her arms. 

“Ruby Rose! Stop doing dumb things like that, you absolute dolt!”

Ruby looked up at her and grinned like an idiot.

“It worked didn’t it?”

Weiss cast her gaze towards the mech, whose arm was now weighed down by activated earth and iced dust, and she let out a huff.

“Yes, but that was still foolish of you to run _into a cannon_.”

Ruby laughed, and shifted herself so that her head lay on Weiss’s shoulder. 

“Don’t worry Weiss, I’ve still got a lot more foolishness left in me.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

Ruby clasped Weiss’s hand gently. 

“Weiss, I may do stupid stuff sometimes, but I _promise_ that I’ll always come back to the team, and to you. No matter what I do, I’ll try to come back in one piece for you.”

Weiss gazed at Ruby with unfiltered adoration, and pressed a kiss to her temple. There were just _too many_ emotions, and it felt like the _right_ thing to do. Ruby looked up at her with wide eyes, and Weiss just shushed her, smiling softly.

“I hate this game of emotions that we play.”

“Stay strong Weiss! We’ll get through this together.”

Weiss laughed, remembering that dumb board game they used to play at Beacon, before all of this mess started. She smiled, remembering a time before death and real battle strategies, and held Ruby tighter.

Of course, all good things had to end eventually.

~~~

Weiss shot another glyph towards Ruby, thrusting her upwards so she could slash at the Levithan. Despite her best efforts, the scythe failed to connect, and Ruby was thrown backwards by an earsplitting roar let out of the massive Grimm. All around them the battle roared, gunfire echoing as the Argus military struggled to take down the lesser Grimm attacking the city. Weiss throws out a slowing glyph at a falling Ruby, before directing her back towards the ship. Ruby lands in the ship, frazzled but otherwise ok.

“ _Weiss!_ I was fine!”

“You were falling, Ruby Rose.”

“Only a little.”

Ruby pouted, eliciting a laugh from Weiss, despite the situation around them. Weiss looked fondly at her partner, loving the way her messy hair fell into her eyes, which were bright from the excitement of the battle. Weiss brushed her hair away from her face, and was about to say something before Maria interrupted the moment.

“Are you two love birds going to sit there chatting all day or are you going to kill this thing?”

Weiss gritted her teeth, feeling her patience towards the old woman diminish by the second. However, Ruby pushed herself to her feet, preparing herself to head back towards the Leviathan. 

“She’s right Weiss. More fighting now, more talking about _this_ later.”

Weiss sighed, knowing she was right, but not wanting Ruby out in the thick of it anymore.

“Just don’t do anything dumb, you dolt.”

“I promise to come back in one piece, okay?”

“Fine.”

Ruby jumped out the door, and was quickly caught by Weiss’s glyph, propelling her towards the Leviathan once again. Around them Blake and Yang were taking care of smaller Grimm, and team JNR were trying to distract the beast so Ruby could get a few hits in. The strategy was almost working, but Weiss could see that they were all tiring, and the Leviathan seemed no closer to death than before the battle started. 

“Ruby! Come back to the ship!”

Ruby obeyed Weiss’s order, activating her semblance to speed back towards them. When she landed, Ruby sighed. 

“I'm not getting close enough to it!” 

“We can fly there then.”

Ruby looked at Weiss with wide eyes. 

“I can get you there with my summoning glyph, and you try to freeze it with your eye-magic.”

Ruby beamed at her, and Weiss could almost see the cogs turning in her head as she tried to figure out how this would work. She knew that she’d have to protect Ruby in order for her to have enough time to concentrate, but she could make this work. She had to make this work.

“Good plan! Let’s go.”

Weiss concentrated, summoning her flying Grimm, and motioned for Ruby to hop on. Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss’s waist, causing her breath to hitch, but she maintained her concentration and flew the summon towards the Leviathan. She weaved around the beast, feeling Ruby’s deep breaths on her neck, and tried to keep a steady flight in order to make it easier for her partner. 

Weiss was so focused on Ruby, and keeping the summon together, that she didn’t notice the shouts of warning coming from team JNR. A huge, dark arm swung towards them, and Weiss was forced to jerk to the side in order to avoid being hit, breaking Ruby’s concentration.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t see it in time….”

“We need more time!”

That was the last thing Weiss heard before Ruby took out the lamp and summoned Jinn.

~~~ 

When everything unfroze, Weiss saw that the Leviathan was encased in stone, and Ruby was slumped over behind her. Weiss heard cheers ring out around her, but all she was focused on was Ruby, and how small she looked in that moment. Weiss managed to keep her summon together just long enough to get back to the ship, before it dissipated and dropped her and Ruby to the floor with a thump.

Weiss then watched with horror as the cheers turned to screams, and the Leviathan’s head broke free from the stone, letting out another ear splitting roar. Weiss hung her head in defeat, before hearing a mechanical groan. She looked up to see the defeated mech from earlier make its way toward the Leviathan, minus an arm, and watched as its remaining hand drilled into the beast’s neck and turned it to dust.

Weiss finally let out a cheer of her own, letting a relieved smile grace her face as she watched Ruby stir. 

“Weiss…. what happened?”

“You took down the Leviathan, Ruby. You saved us.”

Ruby smiled sleepily, looking up at Weiss with tired eyes.

“I told you… I’d come back in one piece.”

Weiss chuckled softly. 

“Yes, you did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I love these gay messes


	4. Battle of Salem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh here comes more angst, but don’t worry, I’ll give you a slight reprieve next chapter 😁

The Fourth Time-

Weiss was transported back to another battle, another desperate fight for their lives, as she lay trembling while Ruby held her bloodied hand. Her partner looked at her with wide, scared eyes, as she murmured comforts and checked her scroll again, waiting for a response from Jaune.

“Weiss, hold on. Jaune will be here soon, just _hold on_ a little bit longer. I’ve got you, you’ll be _fine_ , I promise.”

Weiss let out a small sigh, then immediately winced as a sharp pain shot through her stomach, setting her nerves afire. Ruby clutched her hand tighter, and brushed Weiss’s sweat soaked hair from her face, as she hovered on the edge of unconsciousness. Weiss remembered the Battle of Haven in that hazy moment, remembered another wound just like this one, remembered the feeling of helplessness that she was becoming accustomed with nowadays.

Weiss caught sight of blond hair, thinking it was Jaune, but as she heard the blast of gauntlet shells, she realized it was only Yang. She smiled a little, ironically, as she came to terms with the fact that she might truly die here. Ruby must’ve sensed her resolve, for she turned Weiss’s head towards her and pressed her forehead to Weiss’s.

“I’m not giving up on you, okay? I’m not giving up on Jaune either. He’ll be here in just a few minutes, so I need you to hold on for me, okay Weiss? I _promise_ that you’ll be fine.”

Ruby pulled away and pressed her lips to Weiss’s forehead, surprising her a little. In that moment, Weiss realized how lucky she was to have Ruby as a partner, as her leader, as her _girlfriend_. That part was taking some getting used to, but Weiss steeled her resolve and held on a little bit tighter for Ruby, if not for herself. She was _so_ lucky to have someone like Ruby, someone so kind and selfless, someone to hold her and comfort her at her worst. Weiss knew that Ruby should be out there fighting Salem, but instead Ruby insisted on staying by her side until Jaune arrived.

Weiss watched Ruby’s features harden as she caught sight of a different blonde, and she stood abruptly, running out of the tent that Weiss was in to give Jaune an earful.

“Why are you so _slow_?! Weiss could’ve died already Jaune! I _swear_ , if you don’t take care of her I’m going to feed you to a Beowulf myself.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! There are thousands of Grimm out there, and I swear I got here as fast as I could.”

“Oh yeah? I could’ve—“

Weiss raised her voice a little and weakly called out to the bickering pair.

“Hello? I’m kind of _dying_ here, if you forgot.”

Jaune hurried inside of the tent with a weak smile on his face, Ruby right behind him with a scowl on hers.

“Sorry it took so long, Ice Queen. Ruby seems to forget not everyone has speed semblances.”

Weiss let out a chuckle, which only brought another wave of pain coursing through her body. 

“I hope you can fix me as well as you did last time, Vomit Boy.”

Jaune shook his head, setting his hands on Weiss’s stomach, and began to heal her aura.

~~~

Weiss was awoken sometime later by an explosion, and glanced down to see that the hole in her stomach had healed over, but it was still an angry pink color. Besides her, Jaune and Ruby argued softly, not wanting to disturb her sleep.

“Ruby, Weiss still needs rest to completely regenerate her aura. I’ll stay with her until she’s better, but the rest of the team needs _you_.”

“They’re perfectly able to fight without me, what I _need_ to do is stay with Weiss until she can fight again.”

“You’re being selfish. You’ll do more good for Weiss by fighting and taking down Salem.”

“ _I’m not selfish!_ ”

“Both of you, quit arguing!”

Ruby and Jaune turned to look at Weiss, apparently unaware that she’d been awake. Ruby rushed to her side and held her, as close and as tight as she could without hurting Weiss. 

“Ruby.”

Her partner looked at her with a pained expression.

“I’m not going to leave you Weiss. I promised that I’d be there for you.”

Weiss sighed, a pang echoing in her heart. She didn’t want Ruby to leave either, but she knew that Ruby had to face Salem now, or they’d all be dead by morning. She knew it, and Jaune and Ruby knew if too.

“Ruby, as much as it pains me to say this, Jaune is right. This is our one chance to stop Salem, and you aren’t doing us any good by staying with me. You _have_ to go.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

Ruby looked so small in that moment, so young, and Weiss remembered that she was only 17, still a girl. Weiss reached out and took Ruby’s hand again, squeezing it in reassurance, and watched the desperation slowly fade from Ruby’s eyes. 

“Weiss, I _promise_ I’ll be back. I _promise_ I’ll come back to you in one piece, and I _promise_ I’ll defeat Salem.”

“Careful there, that’s a lot of promises.”

“But I promise that I’ll keep them.”

“I trust you, Ruby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you think Weiss was gonna kick the bucket? Did you? But poor Jaune, I wouldn’t want to deal with an angry Ruby either.


	5. Best Day Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awww look, I wrote a steaming hot pile of fluff because I felt bad torturing y’all :))))

The Fifth Time-

Weiss knew something was up when she went downstairs and found herself face to face with an _entirely_ too smug Yang. The blonde had a huge smile on her face that only got bigger when she looked at Weiss, as if she knew something Weiss didn’t.

“Yang.”

“Yes, Ice Queen? Is something wrong?”

Weiss frowned as Yang went about making her coffee in an  _ entirely  _ too cheerful manner.

“Did you have a particularly good night with Blake?”

Yang spluttered and dropped coffee grounds onto the floor, a blush overtaking her face as she cursed and went to get a broom. Weiss folded her arms and fixed Yang with a pointed look as she swept up the coffee,  _ deliberately  _ ignoring her. When all the coffee was cleaned up and thrown away, Yang shook her head ruefully.

“My dirty sense of humor must be rubbing off on you,  _ oh _ what will Ruby say?”

“Why else would you be so happy before caffeine?”

Yang’s huge smile returned when she saw Blake padding down the stairs, ears folding back as she let out a yawn. Yang crossed over to Blake and kissed her cheek, wrapping an arm around the Faunus, who blinked in surprise.

“What’s got you so touchy-feely today Yang?”

“I’m  _ always  _ touchy-feely.”

Weiss scoffed at the joke, before helping herself to some of Yang’s coffee, which earned a cry of protest.

“As much as I would like to hear about your sex life, I’m going to wake Ruby up before my ears start bleeding.”

Weiss trudged up the stairs, leaving the happy couple to…. mingle. She shuddered at the thought, putting Yang’s strange behavior up to a particularly lasting afterglow. Weiss reached the top of the stairs and went to open her door before she heard rustling from behind it. Frowning, she went to knock, which was met with a squeal of surprise from the room and more rustling noises.

“Just a sec!”

Sighing, Weiss stood patiently outside of the door, expecting another Ruby plot, since that's the only logical reason her partner would be up before 10:00 on a Saturday. 

The door opened suddenly, revealing a shockingly put together Ruby, clad in her nicest outfit, brushed hair, and  _ was that makeup _ ? 

“Oh hey Weiss!”

Ruby let out a smile disturbingly similar to Yang’s, which caused Weiss to frown a little, despite her shock at Ruby’s appearance.

“Ruby, why do you look so  _ nice _ ? Should I be worried?”

“No no! Not at all! I uh… I hope you didn’t have any plans today cause I kinda booked our whole day already…..”

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, looking a little embarrassed but also very pleased with herself. Weiss just looked a little stunned.

“Should I put something nice on too?”

Ruby blushed and stammered, before coughing loudly and mumbling under her breath.

“ _ I mean, you look nice in anything, but yeah I suppose that would be good.” _

Weiss looked at her fondly and let out a happy sigh. Oh, what did she do to deserve this girl? Weiss kissed Ruby softly and turned to enter the room, a blush dusting her own cheeks.

“Wait, Weiss! I promise this is going to be the  _ best day ever _ !”

Weiss let out a laugh, seeing Ruby’s earnest face beaming at her.

“I hope so, but that’s a lofty goal.”

“Well, I promise anyway.”

~~~

Well, it really was the best day ever. After Weiss had gotten dressed, Ruby all but dragged her out the door and started the beat up red truck they owned, telling her animatedly about all the things they’d do that day. First, Ruby took Weiss to her favorite botanical garden, which was filled with all sorts of flowering plants and animals. Weiss nearly cried laughing when a squirrel stole the bracelet right off of Ruby’s hand, and her girlfriend took off in a mad dash to get it back, only to return defeated while a still laughing Weiss promised they’d get another one.

Secondly, they went to Weiss’s favorite bookstore, and Ruby generously bought her the new book of a series she’d recently been invested in. The pair then went to Weiss’s favorite cafe (she was beginning to notice a pattern here) for lunch, and after they finished eating Ruby watched Weiss read her new book across the table. Everytime Weiss looked up and caught Ruby staring, she raised an eyebrow in question, but Ruby just blushed a little and smiled at her.

They stayed there until the sun started to get low in the sky, and Weiss looked up again and thought for the millionth time just how  _ beautiful  _ Ruby looked in the late afternoon sun. 

Yes, it really  _ was _ the best day ever.

Ruby stood up and reached her hand out to Weiss, an even brighter smile on her face.

“There’s just one more thing I want to do today.”

~~~

Weiss walked along an unbeaten path, hand in hand with Ruby, her curiosity growing every time Ruby looked back at her with excitement.

“Just a few more minutes until we get there.”

“And where exactly are we going, Ruby Rose?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Weiss huffed, but the smile she had when they left the cafe still stayed stubbornly on her face.

The trees up ahead seemed to thin a little, and the path became a little clearer as the afternoon light shone through the trees. Eventually, the trees gave away completely, and Weiss found herself standing in a massive clearing filled with wildflowers, and she looked over to see a bouncing Ruby, unable to contain her energy. 

The sun shone at the perfect angle, capturing the true beauty of the place, all the flowers shining their colors and the grass swaying peacefully. Weiss only got a few moments to enjoy the view before she felt a pair of soft hands over her eyes. She stiffened for a second before realizing that it was only Ruby.

“Just keep your eyes closed for me, promise?”

“I will.”

Weiss felt the hands removed from her eyes, but kept them shut as she heard rustling noises around her, no doubt Ruby preparing another surprise for “Best Day Ever”. 

Ruby’s voice, filled with equal parts nerves and joy, called out to Weiss.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

Weiss opened them slowly and was met with the sight of Ruby kneeling before her, a small box clasped in her hands. Her silver eyes shone with excitement, but most of all were filled with undying love and adoration. Weiss gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth as she realized what was happening, feeling tears well up in her own eyes.

Ruby began speaking, and Weiss vowed to herself that she would remember every word from this moment.

“Weiss, we may not have gotten along when we first met, but I made it my mission not to give up on you. Eventually, I won you over as my friend, but you quickly became much more to me, and I wanted so much more. When you kissed me before the Battle of Salem, I realized I was goner, and now I had to win this thing just so I could be with you in peace. These past couple of years have been the best years of my life, but only because you’ve been here to spend them with me. So, Weiss Schnee, will you make me even happier than I already am, and marry me?”

Weiss had started crying somewhere in the middle of Ruby’s speech, but she quickly wiped away her tears and nodded, rushing forward to embrace Ruby, her  _ fiancée _ , and buried her face into her shoulder. Weiss pulled back long enough to accept the ring with a weak laugh, before pulling Ruby towards her into a long and deep kiss, full of love and contentment. 

The sun had dipped below the horizon at this point, but the clearing still was full of light because  _ Ruby _ was there, Weiss’s personal sun.

“This really was the best day ever.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So THAT’S what Yang was so happy about.
> 
> (Btw, enjoy it while you can, because this just made the last chapter ten times harder to write)


	6. Promise Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well.......... here it is.......... enjoy?

The Sixth Time-

“Weiss, for the last time, I’ve got everything I could possibly need!”

“Did you pack the—“

“Yes, sweetheart, I packed the extra socks.”

“And the—“

“Weiss!”

Weiss sighed, knowing there was no way she could delay the hunting trip any longer without making Ruby and team JNR late for their airship. Yes, she knew that Ruby would be perfectly safe with team JNR by her side, and yes, she knew that Ruby was able to take care of herself. However, Weiss’s nerves were not put at rest despite her perfectly sound reasoning. This was Ruby’s first hunt since the Battle of Salem, and Weiss knew how much she wanted to get back out there and kill some Grimm. 

But of course, Ruby’s first mission was against an ancient Grimm, one that had been terrorizing several villages in Mistral, one that no other huntsman team had been able to stop.

No, that certainly didn’t help Weiss’s nerves at all.

“I know, I know, but you know that I can’t help but fuss over you.”

Weiss laughed, trying to play it off as a joke, but her eyes betrayed her nerves. Ruby, having been around Weiss for so many years, wasn’t fooled by the ruse at all. 

“Weiss.”

She looked Ruby in the eyes, a silent plea in her own.

_Please don’t leave, I just want you to be here safe with me._

“I’m gonna be fine. Team JNR and I are the most accomplished huntsmen around, and if I can defeat Salem, I can certainly kill one lousy Grimm.”

“But it’s been _years._ ”

Ruby looked at Weiss with a softness that was only reserved for her, the literal embodiment of puppy dog eyes. As expected, Weiss softened and let out a small sigh, wrapping Ruby in a hug.

Ruby pulled back and kissed Weiss lightly on the nose, causing her to smile. 

“I promise I’ll come back alive, as always.”

“Of course. I trust you. When have you ever broken one of your promises?”

Ruby grinned and rushed out the door with a flurry of rose petals. She turned back one last time and waved goodbye at Weiss, who gave her a half-hearted wave in return. Weiss watched the old, beat up truck make its way down the road, and told herself not to worry.

She couldn’t help the weight that slowly settled into the pit of her stomach.

~~~

Weiss felt the anticipation build as the clock ticked closer to Ruby’s return. She was currently at Blake and Yang’s house, helping the pair hang up balloons and various other decorations to celebrate Ruby’s first hunt since Salem. Normally Weiss would’ve scoffed at such tacky things, but she knew how much Ruby enjoyed parties, so she pitched in and helped Blake and Yang set up. 

She finished hanging up balloons, and stared at the clock, wondering how the hands could move so _slowly._

A loud _pop_ resonated from the kitchen, followed by a cry of surprise from Blake and raucous laughter from Yang. Weiss poked her head around the corner to find the blonde holding a popped balloon and an angry Blake with her ears pressed against her head.

“Yang, quit torturing your wife and help me set up the food.”

Blake punched Yang on the shoulder, having recovered from her shock. Yang grinned at her, which caused Blake to relax slightly, but the Faunus still wore a perturbed expression. 

“That sounds like a good idea. Go help Weiss, you terror.”

Yang made her way over to Weiss, still grinning over her successful prank. Even at 27, the woman was still a child.

Weiss popped the cap on the first bottle of soda when she heard a knock on the door. Heart speeding up, Weiss felt a smile overtake her face as she all but ran to the door. 

However, her steps faltered when she neared the door, wondering why the knock was so weak, and then completely stopping when she realized that there shouldn’t have been a knock at all. Ruby would’ve burst through the door the moment she got home, and Nora would’ve all but broke down the door with her knocks. Shaking her head, Weiss reasoned that they were probably exhausted from the long journey back to Patch.

Weiss knew the second she opened the door.

Well, she didn’t _know_ , but the thought hit her head when she took stock of the situation before her.

First, there was no Ruby in her arms the moment she opened the door. There was no Ruby outside at all.

Second, the expressions on team JNR’s faces told her that something was very wrong. Ren, for the most part, looked normal, but the pain in his eyes betrayed his calm expression. Jaune was red faced and his eyes were bloodshot, and a haunted look graced his face. Most unsettling of all was Nora, who had _tears_ in her eyes, and her movements were slow and lethargic, so unlike the boundless energy that she and Ruby normally shared. Weiss had, never, not once seen Nora this downcast.

Despite Weiss _knowing_ , she still asked the inevitable question with a wary voice, as if the answer might physically hurt her.

“Where’s Ruby?”

Nora let out a small, choked sob as Ren wrapped an arm around her, and Jaune looked at his feet in dismay.

Weiss asked again, this time with much more force.

“ _Where’s Ruby?_ ”

Jaune looked up, fresh tears in his eyes as he cleared his throat, uttering the words that Weiss _knew_ , but dreaded hearing all the same. 

“She’s—“

Jaune took a deep breath, steeling himself for the next part.

“She……. she died fighting the Grimm.”

Weiss heard him, but didn’t really understand the words coming out of his mouth. They were illogical. Ruby was probably just around the corner, or in town buying cookies from that bakery she loved for the party. She would be back any minute, and they would kiss, and they would laugh and catch up, and Ruby would tell Weiss about how she defeated the Grimm with a _whoosh_ and a _bam_ , and Weiss would try to follow along but would end up getting distracted by how _alive_ Ruby looked. So yes, Weiss heard Jaune, and she _knew_ , but it didn’t make any sense to her. It wasn’t _right_.

Weiss sunk to her knees, unable to accept the news. She buried her head in her hands, letting out a sob, drawing the attention of Yang. She didn’t see how Yang’s smile slowly faded from her face as she noticed Ruby’s absence, or how Yang stood frozen as Blake buried her face into her shoulder and cried, holding on to Yang for dear life. All Weiss heard was the voice in her head, repeating the same string of words over and over.

_That’s not right, Ruby will be here in a second. It’s not right, she’s just around the corner. That’s not right, she’ll be here soon. It’s not right. He’s wrong. That’s not right. It’s not right. That’s not right. It’s not right._

Weiss didn’t see Yang slam her fist into the wall next to them, eyes shining red with tears and anger.

All she saw was Ruby’s face.

~~~

They buried her next to Summer.

The funeral was nice, much to Weiss’s aggravation. The weather was beautiful, sun shining brightly on the black and red casket that held her wife’s body. The trees blew softly in the warm breeze, and the birds chirped a happy melody, contrasting to the somber atmosphere around them. If it was up to Weiss, rain would be pouring down around them, trees bowing in the fierce wind, sun hidden behind layers of dark clouds. But no, it had to be _beautiful_. 

Weiss had prepared a eulogy, but the tear stained paper was crumpled in her fist, and she found herself unable to stand, unable to give a simple speech to honor her partner. Weiss had chided herself on her weakness.

_What good are you if you can’t even say her name?_

She now stood overlooking the cliff where the two graves were, mocking her in their silence, in their permanence. One was older, worn by the years, moss crawling along the bottom. One was brand new, dirt freshly placed, and bundles of flowers cluttered the base. Weiss couldn’t read the words from this distance, but she knew what they said.

**_Ruby Rose_ **

_Leader of Team RWBY_

_Beloved friend, partner, sister, and wife_

_Oct. 31, 127 AGW — June 21, 153 AGW_

_You will always be our sun_

Weiss sighed, exhaling a breath that she didn’t know how long she’d been holding.

~~~ 

Later that evening, Weiss took a walk, unable to rest. She walked a path that Ruby and her used to take, remembering how she would run ahead of Weiss, then back to her side as a way to expel extra energy.

Weiss looked up at the broken moon, imagining that her heart resembled it almost exactly. 

She thought back to how Ruby once said that Summer was watching over her from the moon, always keeping her safe.

_Guess you broke your promise too, huh?_

The moon didn’t answer. 

Weiss didn’t believe in ghosts, but she believed that Ruby was watching her now with Summer up on that moon. The only thing Weiss wished was for Ruby to be at peace, because that would give Weiss something to hold on to. She wished for nothing more than to join Ruby, wherever she was, but Weiss knew that her wife wouldn’t want her to give up just yet.

So she held on, not for herself, but for Ruby.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD IM SORRY PLEASE DONT KILL ME
> 
> yeah so that happened 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this mess..... also AGW stands for After Great War, RWBY doesn’t have a canonical date system so I just made it up

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments!


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